Really? Eziokwu nwanne m? She spoke out in a civilised manner and it’s a problem? She should insult his forefathers and throw them into the lagoon to get her point across. Hypocrites are really plenty. Ndi mmadu sef

Igbo in Lagos: Ire oma eju ji ga n’ogwu
By Chido Nwakanma
Many are the fulminations arising from the unfortunate outburst of the respected Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu. This was an intemperate, in-your-face assault. Many Igbo and non-Igbos alike are up in arms. It is important however to note that this unfortunate outburst is illuminating and provides opportunity for stock taking and strategic realignment by all parties.
At the back of the Oba’s remarks is the growing realisation and fear of the possible power of the non-indigene demographic in Lagos. For most persons, “Omo Ibo” is a catch all for persons who are neither Hausa nor Yoruba in Lagos. It covers the Igbo, Ijaw, Efik and Ibibio, Idoma, Tiv, Itsekiri and Urhobo etc. There is also fear of the loss of a key state like
Lagos to the PDP as this would undermine the bargaining power of a key player in the unfolding power equation.
More importantly for the Igbo is the fact of resentment of their visibility and not subtle display of their gains in the city. The fact that no less a personage than the Oba of Lagos has given expression to this should be cause for introspection.
Some commentators have boasted about Igbo power, Igbo resilience and such like. No doubt, Ndigbo have shown ability to withstand tough conditions everywhere. But this misses the point. The point is about what political scientists discuss under the is and ought dichotomy. Many in the non-indigene community make assumptions and assertions that the hosts find offensive. It is time to change our vocabulary and manage perceptions better. Then work steadily with others to make progress in the desired direction.
Key learnings from the Oba’s outburst.
1. Lagos is not a no-man’s land. Clearly, the people of Lagos resent the notion that some describe their land as a no-man’s land, same way the aboriginal Onitsha N’ado resent the takeover of Onitsha by those from the hinterland. Lagos belongs to us all but some persons have right of first mention.
2. All Nigerians see Lagos as first or second home. The Igbo are no exception. Ndigbo are very visible in the Lagos mix because of the large numbers of their kin involved in open market activities.
3. Nigeria is not yet ripe for domicile as basis for citizenship. The ought would have someone like me born at the Lagos Island maternity in the 60s and having lived an eight of my life in Lagos, claiming citizenship. The reality (is) is that both constitutionally and by virtue of underlying political economics, we are not ready. Not enough persons of non-Igbo stock are represented in the general Igbo areas.
There is strong and growing Yoruba presence in Bayelsa, visible like the Igbo because of the nature of their trade in the transport business, but not enough to be a demographic factor of reckoning. Blame economics for it, but also blame the politics of allocation of resources and values. Domicile as basis for citizenship would favour a group not many in Nigeria are willing to grant any favours and would be lopsided given current demographic distribution of ethnicities so it will take a while to happen.
4. It is in the strategic interest of the dominant tendency in Yoruba land today to keep APC in power in Lagos. Both the dominant tendency and the contestant are willing to discuss terms to ensure representation of non-indigenes. This is where a meeting of minds should happen. Igbo have nothing to lose whoever is in power in Lagos. Both perspectives work. Victory of the dominant tendency is a desirable outcome. However, it makes sense also to effect change in Lagos as it happened at the federal level. It would make the citizen the centre of this democracy. The bottom line remains which party offers the best deal of an enabling environment?
5. Communication with the growing demographic represented by Ndigbo has been wrong headed and based on triumphalism. It has featured cajoling in the guise of communication.Unfortunately, it commenced with Igbo sympathisers of APC who could not sell their party to the Igbo. Indeed, so poor was their effort or lack of it that APC made no electoral promise to the Igbo nation worth remembering. When they lost woefully therein, as they ought, their sympathisers commenced a calumnious umbrage against the Igbo. The channel noise is so loud communication and thus persuasion is not happening. Unfortunately, the Oba has added to the resentment rather than the persuasion. APC should change its engagement strategy with Ndigbo.
6. Whatever our feelings about the Oba’s statement, Ndigbo must remain respectful of the Oba and the Obaship in Lagos, as is the tradition of the people. We should accept his rationalisation as akin to an apology, given traditions, and move on. Nothing is gained making him grovel. Nay.
The backlash against the Oba’s remarks have been strong and articulated well. Enough. Noise would do only so much for Ndigbo in the matter. We should bear in mind the story of the hawk and the chicks. When the hawk swooped on ducks and took its young, it returned to its abode. On enquiry by Mother Hawk, the Young Hawk said the Mother Duck said nothing but went its way quietly. Mother Hawk advised the young to return the loot. Contrarily, when it swooped on the hen and took its chick, the hen screamed and made loud noises. MotherHawk asked its young to go ahead and consume. What is our Plan B? Plan B does not require noise.
Ndigbo say ire oma ka eju ji a ga n’ogwu. This is the time to understand where we stand, appreciate the sensibilities of other demographic groups, and tread surefootedly but sensibly. Rather than the traditional “they hate us” response, we must now understand what it is that we need to do to remain good neighbours without losing momentum. There will be unprovoked attacks sometimes. The Jews in America are illustrative. They have soft power, but do not bother with seeking the Presidency. It may come someday, but in reality they have as much power as any demographic without titular power in that open manner.
What the Igbo need is space within which to unleash their enterprise and passion. Ubiquity has made the Igbo the favourite object of anger directed at the other. Nevertheless, rather than allow it degenerate into xenophobia, we should become the unity glue of Nigeria. We should work with every one, haters as well as admirers, to ensure that the unfortunate outburst of the Oba of Lagos turns into a positive rather than a negative for everyone in Lagos but more so for the demographic represented by the Igbo.

@Ndigbo, playing diplomatic in the face of unprovoked attacks against a tribe! Did the traders tell the oba Lagos is no man’s land? Please sit down with your unnecessary analysis. Apologising for being wronged? Get out of here

i feel for you deeply. What was your point and what have you achieved in your life in comparison to this woman that you cannot simply make your point without resorting to insults.
Please try and be civil. I know it is not easy.

One woman who has passion for her country. Not perfect, but says it as she sees it. When you see her video creating decorum at a polling unit during the presidential election, you can*t but help to admit that she is one woman who is ready to walk her talk.

The Oba of Lagos acted like a thug, a bully and a loose cannon. With statements like that, you have brought a huge disgrace to your throne and all your forebearers. You need to be educated on how to speak in the public to avoid Sticking your foot in your mouth in the future. No amount of intimidation will make me vote for someone else’s candidate period. A vote is a terrible thing to waste. Vote your conscience on Saturday April the eleventh, 2015 Igbo people. Your vote is your power. Use it wisely. Remember, all power is subject to a higher power. The more you know, a word is enough for the wise. I ‘ m just saying.

This is a reasonable person expressing herself with some sense of civility and etiquette,unlike some people just opening there mouth without even trying to know the genesis of the whole matter.

And for those who dont know the genesis,it started when Jimi said he will elevate the eze ndigbo to the status of the oba of lagos,saying all that just to get there vote,is that not enough to annoy the monarch?

The only thing i learnt from all this is that the omo ibo have powers to make d choice of the oba loose an election in the oba”s domain. Dats all
Wait a minute was JK going to win in lagos? with Tinubu,Fashola etc still rulling lagos

Your Response to Discrimination By Usman Amaechi Adebayo
Discrimination is the ‘unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people especially on grounds of race, religion, gender, or age.’ Tribalism is ‘the state or fact of being organized in a tribe or tribes; tribalism may also refer to a way of thinking or behaving in which people are more loyal to their tribe, than to their friends, country or any social group.’ Having defined these concepts, the real issue(s) can now be properly addressed. Personally, I think discrimination is one of the most senseless social problems in our society and it should be curbed at every level. Seriously, we discriminate against Race, Gender, Religion, Age, Sexual Preference, Social Status, Tribe, Bodily Weight and Size, Complexion- we discriminate against anything. I cannot even begin to explain the dangers of discrimination on individuals and the society at large. I believe that the main issue with discrimination has a lot to do with socialization and orientation and it is embedded n people; hence, the reason it is so difficult to convince people to look beyond tribe or gender. Without dabbling into the academic debate against discrimination, I am writing this ‘short’ article to appeal to NIGERIANS to look beyond discriminatory statements and attitude and stay determined to fight our challenges in Nigeria as ONE. Yes, as ONE, because there is no single tribe or race that can do everything all by themselves. Let us take Usman Amaechi Adebayo as an example; S(he) is a DETRIBALIZED Nigerian whose Doctor is IGBO, Lawyer is YORUBA, Boss at work is HAUSA, her President is an IJAW man, her Vice-President is HAUSA, her Mentor is an IGALA woman, the owner of her favorite restaurant is an IBIBIO woman while the chef is a TIV man, her Landlord is an ITSEKIRI man, her neighbors and co-workers are from such wide array of tribes that she can barely pronounce or remember all of them. My point is that an average Nigerian does not have the luxury of choosing who they work with or who they interact with on a daily basis. In a day, you probably interact with different people from at least 5 different tribes – we have no control over this. Also, let me juggle your memory a little bit, think back, remember that at some point, somebody other than your tribe has done something good for you, at least once, and you must have done the same as well- this goes to show that we are HUMANS first, before any tribe, gender, race, or religion.
The recent statements made have portrayed a prejudicial treatment against a certain tribe in Nigeria- The IGBO Tribe. It is unfortunate that careless statements like these are made and they should be totally condemned and criticized; however, a very crucial aspect is our RESPONSE. In our daily lives, we respond to certain issues in different ways but believe me when I say your Reaction is more important than the Initial Action. In my own opinion, this whole event has only brought about more discrimination; this should not be so as incidents like this should always leave us with a lesson at the end of the day. What is the lesson learnt so far? That Yoruba people hate Igbos? That the Igbos too might just feel the same way based on their response? Are we bringing tribe into politics to score some political points? That we should think before we speak, instead of speaking out of anger or excitement? It is not doing anyone any good and there are no lessons learnt…yet! Yes, I believe there were discriminatory statements; I believe they were wrong and insensitive, I also believe that our response matters. Responding with more hate or discriminatory statements only makes your Reaction same or worse than the Initial Action; it doesn’t make you or the situation better, it will only lead to Reverse Discrimination which is just another type of Discrimination.
Tribal Discrimination, like racism is an enormous social problem that we as Nigerians face, I have been a victim of it several times and so have you, at some point. At this stage, we are too enlightened and informed to join issues based on tribe; our great grandfathers fought this ‘war’ and I am sure that even in their graves they would understand and agree that it wasn’t worth the fight. At the end of the day, there is no tribe or race after life. It is bad enough that we have so many challenges in Nigeria; discrimination should not be another problem we should have to think of. Our diversity in Nigeria is one of our Unique characteristics, we should learn to embrace it and use it to our own advantage, and not to stir or incite hate and bitterness. We are intelligent people and we are responsible for our actions, I believe that we are able to communicate effectively without making any discriminatory insinuations. When people make discriminatory statements against other tribes, the best response, in my own opinion, is to either IGNORE or Respond WITH LOVE, because if you respond with more hate and discrimination, it really doesn’t make you better than the instigator himself, it only means you had it all in you and you were just waiting for the right avenue to let it out. Every Nigerian should try to be more sensitive to everybody’s feelings because at the end of it all, we are all EQUAL in the eyes of God. There’s no racial, tribal or gender preference in Heaven or Hell, apparently there’s even no VIP section for the wealthy ones too! Let us be loyal first to Nigeria before our tribes, it may be difficult but it is for the greater good. How many years do we, as individuals, have to spend on earth that we cannot tolerate one another? The initial discriminatory statements and the responses hurt me irrespective of my tribe, they hurt me because I am Human and Nigerian. Like I said, I have been a victim of tribalism, apparently I do not look like I am from my tribe so I have had people insult me or just make silly comments in my own language, just because they thought I would not understand the language, talk less of being from that tribe (of course I responded in same language), I LOVE the ‘shock response.’ Also, because I look like a certain tribe, people from that tribe tend to favor me or give me preferential treatment till they hear my TRIBAL name and the excitement vanish! (the look of disappointment on their faces is usually priceless). I’ve also met many people that would be mean to me for no reason until I speak my language, this should not be the case.
Having lived outside Nigeria for quite sometime, I developed the habit of saying ‘I’m NIGERIAN’ when asked where I was from, regardless of who asked, whether or not it was a Nigerian who asked, just because I knew that most were asking just so they could put me in a box, be it the Hausa box, Yoruba box, or Igbo box and then see how I fit into the stereotypes and reinforce those stereotypes, whether or not they match my personality. I understand the importance of belonging to a smaller unit in your country and being proud of it, don’t get me wrong, I am very PROUD of my tribe, but I personally choose to be called Nigerian first, before my tribe. Moving back to Nigeria, the same question ‘Where are you from?’ crops up almost everyday! It has been difficult just sticking to my ‘I am Nigerian’ response; even when I tell people my tribe, they go further to ask where exactly, and of course, they start with the funny stereotypes as well. I am not saying people should not ask where others are from because there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, I think it is a great conversation starter, especially with detribalized people who have clear motives.
In conclusion, I humbly appeal to ALL Nigerians to strive to live in peace, love and harmony, and remember first that we are HUMANS before any tribe, race, gender, age, or even sexual preference. I AM A DETRIBALIZED NIGERIAN. I love my tribe very much but I love all HUMANS first, even before my nationality, tribe, race or gender. It is bad enough that my race and gender is often discriminated against, to add tribe to the list will be catastrophic. I keep saying this, Nigeria is very blessed, if only we can take advantage of our diversity and human capital, the sky is our limit.
Discrimination will not disappear in one day, but what matters most is your response- Are you responding with LOVE or more HATE?
God bless Nigeria and everywhere else!

textbook!
but Igbo having stakes in west and north.. do we have stake in the east like that? bottom line igbos are unaccommodating. its high time we wake up and allow these people go there way.. they can be relied on.

You are a christian, act like one.live in love. This lagos you are claiming was developed with oil money from Niger. Delta and even groundnut money from d north. So this Lagos is for everybody. Keep spewing hate;I hope you carry lagos with you to heaven. Stand against hate and tribalism.. you can rain your. Insult. It will not reach me.

@Isi, you lie. Lagos has been developed than any other part of Nigeria before oil was ever discovered in Nigeria. Lagos has been on the verge of development right before colonialism, during colonialism and continued thus after it. Lagos has been a major trade hub to sub-Saharan Africa long before Nigeria gained independence. The peoples of Lagos and the south-west are known merchants and entrepreneurs. You should also not forget that the south west produced cocoa as cash crop for export, before, during and after Nigeria’s independence and all of this were still before Nigeria’s oil boom.

Thus, dear Isi, get your facts right. The propaganda we Lagosians allow the rest of you who are guests here in Lagos should remain what it is.

Economically speaking, the Yorubas in Lagos till today still contribute more to the economies of Lagos than any other present tribe ever will, both in the formal and informal sectors. A case study would be the LAGOS ISLAND TRADING HUB…. THE LARGEST INFORMAL TRADING HUB IN WEST AFRICA.

This I’ll implore you to get off your high horse cos the Yorubas are not lazy people. We’ve been capable, we are capable and we still will be capable in developing region after you’re all long gone.

Till then, I implore that we all coexist in peace as we’ve always done.

Point of correction, It’s “igbo” not “ibo”…. So dat ur slogan is actually meant 4u….
Nobody likes insult and to be intimitated, 4 a whole OBA 2 hv said dat, it’s a NO,NO***smh****
Am nt a party 2using words, I rather love action.

It is no big deaal. The statement has come out and we hv seen Oba’s thought for Igbo as our proverb says that it is when wind blows that one can see fowl nyash. Election hs come n we know how Oba loves Igbo.

Whether it be a joke or not (oba’s utterance), every joke has an atom of truth to it. Its a shame this occured in Lagos, a mega city under the eye watch of the world as i write. I’m not here to judge or misjudge anyone, but i believe moving forward as a nation requires forward thinking leaders and that statement the oba made, was absolutely backwards in attempt to support Ambode. May the best man win on saturday, JK is a good speaker, sounds promising, as in, what haven’t we been promised by politicians though, moreover, i’d rather one that can speak with confidence, than one who can’t speak and still arrogant. Fine the position requires more than speaking but if all i can do for now is listen to them speak, research about their past, which is what i’m pretty much limited to doing, to decide as to who my next Gov should be, i believe that is clear. JK won the debate, but The powers backing Ambode would definitely not allow him be a decision maker in the office in my opinion. Too many puppet masters.

In as much as I don’t agree with what the Oba said, we can help by over looking it. Ibos have come to lagos his terrority n whatsoever u see or hear u shld take it with a pinch of salt n move on. His speech doesn’t make u a lesser person, it just shows his level of reasoning.
I am a yoruba girl living abroad, we face such things everyday n I still have to live with it n so do the ibos have to live with it. Everyone is entitled to vote for whomsoever he or she chooses, no one can intimidate anyone. We all nigerian, whether ibo, yoruba or Hausa. We shldnt allow such talk to disintegrate us in Lagos. Lagos state has tried for every ethincity so pls ibo overlook my oba’s talk n move on. Long live federal republic of nigeria, long live Lagos state. Eko o ni gbaje

The oba of lagos is nt @ fault,jimi agbaje should be blamed…..u don’t have 2 make such statement all because u want people’s vote, no1 will ever allow any1 to b placed above him. I don’t think d matter should be dragged any further cos we av been living in peace b4 2015 election nd I believe we would continually living in peace after d election insha allah

What everyone is not talking about is that the Igbo people in Lagos will always be appreciated. Oba of Lagos can not speak for all of us. I am Yoruba and majority of my friends are from the east but born and raised in Lagos. I love my friends and I will swim in the Lagoon with them if I have to.

I can for one say I have never said anything degradable about yoruba people. I didn’t even believe that there was ill hatred amongst tribes in Nigeria. I grew up in Rivers state and about 95% of my friends were yoruba. We did everything together including going to each other’s house for lessons and food. I am truly surprised by this Oba’s statement.

Omg, reading these comments and this is so so sad..Naija still reeks of tribalism like this…wow….may we overcome it one day one day by the grace of God…it’s just so ignorant and we wonder why we haven’t progressed as a nation. How can we progress with such backward thinking?…Nigerians are the ones spoiling Nigeria…period! Forget govt. These elections just opened up a can of worms that have existed but have been lying dormant…wake up call to all-tribalism still exists even amongst the educated! Just makes you wonder if the person smiling with you everyday secretly has major prejudices against your tribe/ethnicity

Truth be told d way ibos have strong foot in d west and north can’t be overemphasized. Eventho I condemned in strong terms d words of d Oba, but again his words and our reactions so far has proved dat we pretend to be united when truely we aren’t. If u have been to d east u will observe dat dey r very Territorial. U can never find a non native laying claim to several houses or land never or trying to be relevant it does not happen. But when u find dem outside dere territory, d will want u to believe d own d land. #mytots#

You are very wrong here. If you have really resided in igboland, you would realise that they are very accommodating. Have you ever approached any Igbo man requesting to get a piece of land and you were refused? Assuming you were refused, was it on tribal ground?

Ermm as a nigerian, how many states have u been to? Lagosians don’t travell! I make bould to say bcos they hav this mentality that Lagos is Nigeria’s London so where else could be better? The Nigeria most of u knw, is the one u see on Television n papers yet u guys fill every internet sites with baseless comments. Stay in any northern state as a non hijab or Kaftan wearing person n u can fully spell NOT UNITED. So u THINK we ARE united eh? Keep dreaming in Lagos

Understandably, that obas statement was hateful n callous, but he was only speaking for himself, just to gain relevance, nd I’m sure he regrets his unchecked words. Idiots like him come up every now n then, just when we thought we were heading forward as a country, these ignorant tribalist keeps holding us back….. he should be made to chew his words, so others don’t take after him….
Good riddance, n Mrs Oby ever tactful proved her points without sentiments.